An update to modern taxonomy (2011) of freshwater planktic heterocytous cyanobacteria

Abstract

It is essential for the modern taxonomic classification of cyanobacteria to be continually updated in accordance with revisions based on molecular sequence comparisons and combined with morphological features, ecophysiological characters and other biochemical and molecular markers (“polyphasic approach”). Several genera, which are characterized by their planktic life form and contain indicator species important for the evaluation of aquatic biocenoses in majority of water bodies are recognized in the monophyletic group of heterocytous cyanobacteria. Current taxonomic revisions (and nomenclatoric consequences) of the specific contents of these heterocytous cyanobacterial generic units are covered by this article. Among these genera, 12 contain only planktic species, three remaining genera contain both planktic and non-planktic species. Comments and suggestions for future research are stressed especially in the ecologically distinct genera, which includes species dominating in the plankton of various reservoir types.

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